Peak industry body is seeing dollar signs in Tamworth's business community

At its most recent meeting, Tamworth Regional Council (TRC) approved a motion from the mayor to accept Business NSW's invitation to become a "gold" member of its Regional Leaders Program.

At a cost of $10,000 to ratepayers, membership gives TRC tickets to all six of the program's major events as well as access to think tanks, small-group roundtables, professional development training for council staff, two 1-on-1 meetings with Business NSW, and voting rights on the advocacy group's motions and resolutions.

"By being part of this regional leaders program, Tamworth Regional Council has access to and can collaborate with industries across the whole New England on a region-wide level," says Business NSW New England North West regional director, Diane Gray.

Ms Gray told the Leader the return on TRC's $10,000 investment will be "immeasurable".

"How do you put a number on the value of getting people in the room and connecting at that level?" she said.

"You can't measure the ripple effect that happens when high-calibre, highly-engaged, passionate individuals for this region get into a room and make things happen."

The Leader also asked Tamworth mayor Russell Webb what benefits he expects will flow from the Regional Leaders Program into the region's businesses.

Cr Webb responded by saying on top of networking opportunities, the program will provide TRC with market-leading insights into the state of the regional economy.

"Any growing community depends on having a vibrant business community, and we can support that community by giving them access to new ideas coming forward," he said.

He also emphasised the importance of bending the ears of the kind of people an organisation like Business NSW has on speed dial.

"By joining up with this particular program we'll be able to meet with government ministers, business leaders in Sydney, and also bring together the local business community to help them grow their businesses, grow their vibrancy, and grow their prosperity," Cr Webb said.

Both Cr Webb and Ms Gray said building stronger bonds between TRC and Business NSW will put Tamworth in the centre of conversations surrounding investment and development in the region.

Ms Gray told the Leader Tamworth businesses are "already gaining benefit" from TRC's integration into their regional network, pointing to a recent event which gave local business leaders insight into the latest trends affecting the regional economy.

She also mentioned two "leadership think tanks" Business NSW recently held to discuss future housing needs for temporary workers.

The regional director said tackling the region's housing shortage will be crucial to addressing worker and skill shortages.

"We need to bring in and attract workers, and that means finding solutions for temporary worker accommodation without adding extra pressure onto social and affordable housing," Ms Gray said.

She said the workshops have outlined a set of "key actions" for all relevant stakeholders, but more work needs to be done to refine these actions into a deliverable plan for the region.